U.S. Army to Showcase Award-Winning Geospatial Technology at 2011 GEOINT Symposium

October 18, 2011, ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The U.S. Army Geospatial Center (AGC) will demonstrate its award-winning BuckEye and Geo-referenced PDF (GeoPDF) programs as well as its Instrument Set, Reconnaissance and Surveying (ENFIRE) kit, GeoGlobe and Remote Ground Terminal (RGT) during the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation’s 2011 GEOINT Symposium (San Antonio), October 17-19 at Booth 522.

BuckEye collects high-resolution, 3-D terrain data using a 39-megapixel color camera and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) elevation data to produce unclassified 10-15 centimeter resolution imagery for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and mapping missions in Afghanistan. The program received Army Greatest Invention of the Year honors in 2006 as well as USGIF’s 2006 Geospatial Intelligence Achievement Award its valuable contributions to the geospatial capability of coalition forces during the Global War on Terrorism. It was also selected as one of C4ISR Journal’s Big 25 Award finalists (sensor category) in 2008.

GeoPDF, recipient of USGIF’s GEOINT Achievement Award (military category) in 2008, allows Soldiers to print easy-to-read maps “on demand” and access detailed, up-to-date information on Adobe PDF-enabled computers. Raster and vector GeoPDF formats provide a scalable display of the digital map or image with crisp, clear delineation of roads, rivers, contour lines and other features. The AGC developed GeoPDF DVDs for most countries of the world through its partnership with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and GeoPDF DVDs for all 54 US States and Territories through its partnership with the United States Geological Survey.

The Instrument Set, Reconnaissance and Surveying, or “ENFIRE” kit, is a modern digital engineering tool that replaces the Surveying Set, Military Field Sketching set, which has been in use since the early 20th century.

This Army Program of Record integrates digital components into a common toolkit for collecting and disseminating minefield, reconnaissance and engineering data, enabling engineers to perform reconnaisance, surveying, obstacle reporting, construction site planning, engineering prohect management and inventory management rapidly and at a safer standoff distance than analog measures permit.

The RGT is a tactical, mobile, sensor-agnostic Direct Downlink Demonstration system that will provide Soldiers with superior terrain visualization and analysis by utilizing a commercial common image processor to process raw satellite imagery into standard formats. The system is scalable; sensors (e.g., GeoEye and TerraSar-X) can be added without increasing its tactical footprint. The RGT also operates online and as a “disconnected” system.

The Army Geospatial Enterprise (AGE) GeoGlobe is a worldwide, 3-D-based visualization tool that allows users to access the AGC's geospatial data and products through a 3-D client for the Internet Explorer web browser. The system provides users with an easy-to-use interface to find and view the center’s Water Resources Database, Urban Tactical Planner and BuckEye imagery as well as Theater Geospatial Database data from the Army Geospatial Planning Cells. AGE GeoGlobe is also available as a standalone system for disconnected users. The AGE Geoglobe Laptop (AGL) will be demonstrated at GEOINT at the AGC and Skyline exhibit booths.

The center will also display its BuckEye Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and Remote Ground Control Station at Booth 1333 in the conference’s UAV Static Display Pavilion. This multi-purpose platform supports requirements for the collection of unclassified geospatial data. On-board sensors include a 39-megapixel color camera and LIDAR system. The Buckeye UAS can support contingency operations for change detection, ISR and urban mapping.

The U.S. Army Geospatial Center coordinates, integrates and synchronizes geospatial information requirements and standards across the Army, develops and fields geospatial enterprise-enabled systems and capabilities to the Army and Department of Defense, as well as provides direct geospatial support and products to Warfighters. To learn more about the AGC, please visit
www.agc.army.mil.